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But before we can arrive at safe final conclusions with regard to the older rocks, the study not only of this part of the West Texas mountains, but also those of Mexico, New Mexico, and Arizona, will be required; they belong to the same system, and can and will be understood only after careful comparative study of the whole system.

As far as the economic part is concerned, it can be safely said that the mineral resources, if developed, will put the mountainous country of West Texas on equal footing with the best mining districts of the United States, and that the variety and excellent quality of the building stones and the facilities to transport them to railways are hardly equalled anywhere in the United States.

From observations of the climate continued during two summer and two winter seasons, from the general lay out of the ground and the quality of the soil, I came to the conclusion that the conditions for a future use of the soils for agricultural and horticultural purposes are anything but hopeless. True it will take time and money, but it will be done as soon as the drawbacks which I mentioned in my last and this year's reports, and the prejudice which stamps Trans-Pecos Texas as a valueless and hopeless desert, shall be removed.

Hundreds of thousands of acres of public school and university lands are located in the country west of the Pecos River, and it is in the interest of the public in general not only to ascertain but also to acknowledge publicly the value of this part of the State, by taking legal steps to remove drawbacks and to facilitate the development.

W. VON STREERUWITZ,
Geologist for Trans Pecos Texas.

REPORT OF MR. THEO. B. COMSTOCK.

AUSTIN, TEXAS, December 31, 1890
.

Hon. E. T. Dumble, State Geologist, Austin, Texas:

SIR—Herewith is respectfully submitted the administrative report of the work performed since April 1, 1890, under my direction as Geologist of Central Texas.

In accordance with your instructions, I joined Mr. Cummins in the field early in May, and made with him an exploration of a district in Indian Territory (the Wichita Mountains) for the purpose of gaining a better understanding of certain difficult problems relating to the structure of the Central Mineral Region. Devoting a few days only to this work, I returned to Austin